
Call for Entries newsletter
Motion
A curated international photography exhibition
July 26 – August 19, 2025
Photography is a medium of still images; it cannot create the illusion of motion the way moving images such as film, video, or cartoons can. The static nature of the image itself, however, has never prevented photographers from putting motion in the centre of their endeavours. In addition to freezing the moment, they often strive to capture movement and the passing of time in a variety of other ways as well. The fragile moment might be disrupted by showing the sweeping power of motion. Capturing motion is never a given in photography because it is not a default option of the medium. Depicting or expressing motion is a welcome challenge for photographers; it is also the source of some of the most creative images in diverse photographic genres.
PH21 Gallery invites photographers to submit their work for a group exhibition themed Motion. We welcome submissions from all photographers interested in this intriguing topic and who would like to share their work with a wider international audience through exposure at PH21 Gallery. The theme is broadly construed and is independent of generic or stylistic constraints. We are interested in all possible creative photographic interpretations of the theme.
One curator’s choice and up to three honourable mentions will be announced. The juror’s choice receives three free entries for any upcoming themed group exhibition calls at PH21 Gallery. (Each free entry includes up to 15 images.)
Curators: Zsolt Bátori and Borbála Jász
Zsolt Bátori is a curator, photographer, photography theorist, philosopher of art, and educator. He is the founder director and curator of PH21 Gallery, providing group and solo exhibitions to photographers internationally for over a decade in PH21 Gallery, Budapest and in cooperation with galleries in Barcelona, Jersey City, and Rome. Zsolt has nurtured the careers of many photographers who received further exhibition and career opportunities after exhibiting at PH21 Gallery. After obtaining his PhD in Philosophy from Rutgers University he has taught and conducted research at universities in Hungary, the USA, Argentina, and Spain, and his own photographic work has been exhibited internationally. Currently, Zsolt serves as a member of the executive committee of the International Association for Aesthetics and the Association of Hungarian Photographers. He also served as a juror for Photolucida Critical Mass for the years 2023 and 2024. For Zsolt's website, please click here.
Borbála Jász is a curator, art historian, philosopher of art, and educator. She has served as the vice-director and curator of PH21 Gallery for many years, providing international exhibition and career opportunities for photographers worldwide. Borbála earned her PhD in Philosophy and Art History from Eötvös Loránd University. As an art historian, Borbála is especially perceptive to the cultural and historical context, significance, and interconnectedness of photographic images. She also has first-hand experience with the artistic, legal, and practical aspects of collections, having worked extensively with collectors.
Submission deadlines
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Early bird deadline: May 19, 2025
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Final deadline: May 26, 2025
Notification: All entrants will be notified 10-15 days after the final deadline.
Exhibition dates: July 26 – August 19, 2025
There are two submission options:
A) Standard submission:
Until the early bird deadline:
You may submit 3, 5, 7, 10, or 15 images; these may be all individual works, or they may also include a series of maximum 5 photographs. The entry fee is €25.00 for the first 3 images, €30.00 for 5 images, €35.00 for 7 images, €40.00 for 10 images, and €45.00 for 15 images.
After the early bird deadline:
The entry fee after the early bird deadline is €30.00 for the first 3 images, €35.00 for 5 images, €40.00 for 7 images, €45.00 for 10 images, and €50.00 for 15 images.
B) Special fee:
Until the early bird deadline:
There is a special rate for maximum 5 images for students and unwaged persons as well as for applicants from low-income economies.
The special fee is €15.00.
Please do not ask us about your eligibility or send us any proof because we trust your judgement. The special rate is simply for people who – for the reasons indicated above – would not be able to afford the standard fee.
After the early bird deadline:
The special fee after the early bird deadline is €20.00.
Submission rules and guidelines:
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Please add ph21.gallery@ph21gallery.com and reg@ph21gallery.com to your whitelist, so that our letters are not treated as spam by your e-mail client.
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The entry fee is not refundable.
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This call for entries is competitive; entrants are not guaranteed inclusion in the exhibition by submitting an entry. Depending on the number and the quality of the entries received, the work of an entrant may or may not be curated into the show.
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The selection of the curators is final.
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Please send in the entry fee first (see the payment option at the bottom of the page), and then submit your images by e-mail to